Popular Port Washington Bakery Closes Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — A popular Port Washington bakery known for its bagels, avacado toast and coffee has temporarily shut its doors, and owners say it won't reopen until they know employees will be safe from the new coronavirus. About 23,000 people in Nassau County have tested positive for the COVID-19 disease, which is caused by the virus, including 89 people in Port Washington. Over 900 people have died in Nassau alone.

The pandemic forced state officials in New York, which has been hit hardest and earliest by the virus, to take drastic measures aimed at reducing its spread. In addition to closing schools until at least April 29, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered 100 percent of nonessential workers to stay home as well. While evidence seems to suggest the state is plateauing when it comes to the rate of infections, its effects have reverberated through the state and local economy.

Bill Mulholland, owner of Schmear Bakery & Market, told Patch last week he and his wife were closing the bakery to keep their employees out of harm's way. The shop, which had just celebrated its three-year anniversary April 3, had reduced operations to takeout and delivery after the outbreak. Sales plummeted an estimated 70 percent, Mulholland said, and the bakery was forced to shorten its hours.

But as news of the virus became increasingly grim, Mulholland said they decided it was better for them and their staff to "shelter in place." The business usually has about 14 staffers taking orders and cooking food. About 10 got part-time hours after the outbreak.

Now, all the workers will be forced to join millions of other Americans nationwide, many of them in the food service industry, who will have to file for unemployment benefits. Mulholland hopes to reopen the business once the stay-at-home order is lifted, and will welcome his staffers back.

"All of them have jobs," he said. "Every single one of them."

Mulholland acknowledged he may not be able to keep them all on the same pre-coronavirus schedules, and is "definitely concerned" about how long the outbreak lasts. They have applied for small business loans to help with payroll and he believes he and his family will be able to weather the storm for a while.

"We just felt it was a smarter move for our family to help the community by not being open and not being around other people," he said.

Mulholland said no worker fell ill with the COVID-19 disease, but he didn't want to take that chance.

"We'd feel horrible if we got sick or got someone sick, or one of our staff members — that was really the driving factor," he said of the decision to close.

Earlier this month, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced the results of a Hofstra University business survey, in which she said feedback from companies was "troubling." Hundreds of businesses laid off workers and hundreds more expected to do so in the coming months.

The business survey was part of an economic task force created to assess the economic damage caused by the virus. More than 1,100 Nassau businesses, many of which are small businesses with fewer than 25 workers, responded. More than half said they already laid off workers, and nearly all said they would perform layoffs by the end of the year.

Furthermore, more than half said they don't expect to make any profit this year and were barely staying afloat. About 80 percent said they would need to take out loans to stay in business.

"It's painful now, and we know it'll be painful down the road," Curran said.

At Schmear, even before the abrupt closure, Mulholland described a strange work environment. Staffers had been wearing masks and customers hadn't been allowed in the building. There was also an unusually tense atmosphere.

He suggested other businesses in similar industries close too, noting it's safer for everyone to just stay home.